Ep246: Legendary!

The Disney Legend award is the highest honor given to someone that has worked at the Disney Company. It award was established in 1987 and was designed by Imagineer Andrea Favilli. The award is sculpted to display three main elements that represent three core values that are said to characterize the contributions made by each talented recipient. The elements are:

The Spiral … stands for imagination, the power of an idea.The Hand … holds the gifts of skill, discipline and craftsmanship.The Wand and the Star … represent magic: the spark that is ignited when imagination and skill combine to create a new dream.

The original committee that decided who would get the award were Dave Smith, Arlene Ludwig; Marty Sklar, Randy Bright; Jack Lindquist; Sharon Harwood; Art Levitt; Shelley Miles; Paula Sigman; Doris Smith; and Stacia Martin. The image above is a display from the 2017 D23 Expo.

Class of 1997

Note: This ceremony was held at Disneyland Paris to celebrate its 5th birthday. All 1997 inductees are of European origin.

Lucien Adés, Music

Angel Angelopoulos, Publishing

Antonio Bertini, Character Merchandise

Armand Bigle, Character Merchandise

Gaudenzio Capelli, Publishing

Roberto de Leonardis, Film

Cyril Edgar, Film

Wally Feignoux, Film

Didier Fouret, Publishing

Mario Gentilini, Publishing

Cyril James, Film & Merchandise

Horst Koblischek, Character Merchandise

Gunnar Mansson, Character Merchandise

Arnoldo Mondadori, Publishing

Armand Palivoda, Film

Poul Brahe Pedersen, Publishing

André Vanneste, Character Merchandise

Paul Winkler, Character Merchandise

Class of 1998

Note: There were two ceremonies this year: the first was held at the new Disney Legends Plaza at the Walt Disney Studio on October 16th to recognize 19 of the 21 recipients

James Algar, Animation & Film

Buddy Baker, Music

Kathryn Beaumont, Animation—Voice

Virginia Davis, Animation

Roy E. Disney, Film, Animation & Administration

Don Escen, Administration

Wilfred Jackson, Animation

Glynis Johns, Film

Kay Kamen, Character Merchandise

Paul Kenworthy, Film

Larry Lansburgh, Film & Television

Hayley Mills, Film

Al Milotte and Elma Milotte, Film

Norman “Stormy” Palmer, Film

Lloyd Richardson, Film

Kurt Russell, Film

Ben Sharpsteen, Animation & Film

Masatomo Takahashi(高橋政知), Administration

Vladimir (Bill) Tytla, Animation

Dick Van Dyke, Film

Matsuo Yokoyama, Character Merchandise

Class of 1999

Tim Allen, Television, Film & Animation—Voice

Mary Costa, Animation—Voice

Norm Ferguson, Animation

Bill Garity, Film

Yale Gracey, Animation & Imagineering

Al Konetzni, Character Merchandise

Hamilton Luske, Animation

Dick Nunis, Attractions

Charlie Ridgway, Attractions

Class of 2000

Grace Bailey, Animation

Harriet Burns, Imagineering

Joyce Carlson, Animation & Imagineering

Ron Dominguez, Parks & Resorts

Cliff Edwards, Animation—Voice

Becky Fallberg, Animation

Dick Jones, Animation—Voice

Dodie Roberts, Animation

Retta Scott, Animation

Ruthie Tompson, Animation

Class of 2001

Howard Ashman, Music

Bob Broughton, Film

George Bruns, Music

Frank Churchill, Music

Leigh Harline, Music

Fred Joerger, Imagineering

Alan Menken, Music

Martin Sklar, Imagineering

Ned Washington, Music

Tyrus Wong, Animation

Class of 2002

Note: In honor of the opening of the Walt Disney Studios Park at Disneyland Paris, all 2002 inductees are of European origin. The ceremony was held in the Animation building at the new park on opening day.

Ken Annakin, Film

Hugh Attwooll, Film

Maurice Chevalier, Film

Phil Collins, Music

Sir John Mills, Film

Robert Newton, Film & Television

Sir Tim Rice, Music

Robert Stevenson, Film

Richard Todd, Film & Television

David Tomlinson, Film

Class of 2003

Note: Following a dispute between Roy E. Disney and the company that resulted in Disney departing, Bob Iger, the company’s then-president and COO, co-presented with Michael Eisner.

Neil Beckett, Merchandise

Tutti Camarata, Music

Edna Francis Disney

Lillian Disney

Orlando Ferrante, Imagineering

Richard Fleischer, Film

Floyd Gottfredson, Animation

Buddy Hackett, Film & Television

Harrison “Buzz” Price, Research Economist

Al Taliaferro, Cartoonist

Ilene Woods, Music—Voice

Class of 2004

Bill Anderson, Film & Television

Tim Conway, Film

Rolly Crump, Imagineering

Alice Davis, Imagineering

Karen Dotrice, Film & Television

Matthew Garber, Film

Leonard H. Goldenson, Television

Bob Gurr, Imagineering

Ralph Kent, Imagineering & Attractions

Irwin Kostal, Music

Mel Shaw, Animation

Class of 2005

Note: In honor of Disneyland’s 50th anniversary in 2005, all recipients are related to either Walt Disney Parks and Resorts and/or Walt Disney Imagineering, and nearly all have had some connection with Disneyland. Roy E. Disney again co-presented the awards, after a two-year hiatus and a return to the company.

Chuck Abbott, Parks & Resorts

Milt Albright, Parks & Resorts

Hideo Amemiya, Parks & Resorts

Hideo Aramaki, Parks & Resorts

Charles Boyer, Parks & Resorts

Randy Bright, Imagineer

James Cora, Parks & Resorts

Robert Jani, Parks & Resorts

Mary Jones, Parks & Resorts

Art Linkletter, Parks & Resorts

Mary Anne Mang, Parks & Resorts

Steve Martin, Parks & Resorts

Tom Nabbe, Parks & Resorts

Jack Olsen, Parks & Resorts

Cicely Rigdon, Parks & Resorts

William Sullivan, Parks & Resorts

Jack Wagner, Parks & Resorts

Vesey Walker, Parks & Resorts

Class of 2006

Tim Considine, Television & Film

Kevin Corcoran, Television & Film

Al Dempster, Animation

Don Edgren, Imagineering

Paul Frees, Television, Film & Parks

Peter Jennings, Television

Sir Elton John, Music

Jimmy Johnson, Music

Tommy Kirk, Television & Film

Joe Ranft, Animation

David Stollery, Television & Film

Ginny Tyler, Television & Film

Class of 2007

Roone Arledge, Television

Art Babbitt, Animation

Carl Bongirno, Imagineering

Marge Champion, Animation

Dick Huemer, Animation

Ron Logan, Parks & Resorts

Lucille Martin, Animation

Tom Murphy, Administration

Randy Newman, Music

Floyd Norman, Animation

Bob Schiffer, Film Production

Dave Smith, Archives

Class of 2008

Wayne Allwine, Animation—Voice

Bob Booth, Attractions

Neil Gallagher, Attractions

Frank Gifford, Television

Burny Mattinson, Animation

Walter Peregoy, Animation

Dorothea Redmond, Designer

Russi Taylor, Animation—Voice

Toshio Kagami, Parks and Resorts

Barbara Walters, Television

Oliver Wallace, Music

Class of 2009

Tony Anselmo, Animation—Voice

Harry Archinal, Film

Beatrice Arthur, Film & Television

Bill Farmer, Animation—Voice

Estelle Getty, Film & Television

Don Iwerks, Film

Rue McClanahan, Film & Television

Leota Toombs Thomas, Attractions

Betty White, Film & Television

Robin Williams, Film & Animation—Voice

Class of 2011

Regis Philbin, Television

Jim Henson, Film & Television

Jodi Benson, Animation—Voice

Paige O’Hara, Animation—Voice

Lea Salonga, Animation—Voice

Linda Larkin, Animation—Voice

Anika Noni Rose, Animation—Voice

Jack Wrather, Parks & Resorts

Bonita Wrather, Film

Guy Williams, Television

Bo Boyd, Consumer Products

Raymond Watson, Administration

Class of 2013

Tony Baxter, Imagineering

Collin Campbell, Imagineering

Dick Clark, Television

Billy Crystal, Film & Animation—Voice

John Goodman, Film & Animation—Voice

Steve Jobs, Animation

Glen Keane, Animation

Ed Wynn, Film & Animation—Voice

Class of 2015

George Bodenheimer, Administration & Television

Andreas Deja, Animation

Johnny Depp, Film

Eyvind Earle, Animation

Danny Elfman, Music

George Lucas, Film & Parks and Resorts

Susan Lucci, Television

Julie Reihm Casaletto, Parks and Resorts

Carson Van Osten, Consumer Products

Class of 2017

Carrie Fisher, Film

Clyde Geronimi, Animation

Whoopi Goldberg, Film & Television

Manuel Gonzales, Animation

Mark Hamill, Film

Wayne Jackson, Imagineering

Jack Kirby, Publishing

Stan Lee, Film & Publishing

Garry Marshall, Film & Television

Julie Taymor, Theatrical

Oprah Winfrey, Film & Television

March Mayhem is officially underway!

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